


A New Perspective

by GuineapigQueen



Series: 200 Followers Requests [2]
Category: South Park
Genre: Awkward Dates, M/M, Misunderstandings, Polyamory, Polyamory Negotiations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-26
Updated: 2019-05-26
Packaged: 2020-02-08 20:33:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18630778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GuineapigQueen/pseuds/GuineapigQueen
Summary: Prompt fill for @otherluces on tumblr, hope this was okay!"It's a vague prompt, but if you haven't hit ten prompts yet and you're open to writing it, could I please have Creekovan on their first date together, but Clyde thinks it's like a job interview (like he thinks he's interviewing to date them and doesn't realize it's an actual date). This would be a situation where Creek was already established, but they're interested in dating Clyde as well. (Let me know if polyam is something you don't feel comfortable writing and I'll switch it up! ^^)"or Craig and Tweek go out on first date for the first time in years.





	A New Perspective

“Don’t you think this is weird?” Craig asks Tweek, eyes trained on his reflection in the mirror. He fiddles with the buttons on the dark navy blue shirt he tends to favour on date night. Tweek has seen him in it a million times, but Clyde… 

 

“A little,” Tweek agrees. “Weird enough to  _ -nghh-  _ not go through with it?”

 

“No, I wanna go ahead," Craig affirms because as weird as it is, it’s something they’ve wanted to try for a long time. They just never thought Clyde would be down too. 

 

“I thought so, it’s just  _ -ah-  _ weird because it’s something we’ve never done before." Tweek suggests. His shirt is a dark maroon, a colour that Craig thinks looks incredible on Tweek. Craig is biased and thinks every colour looks amazing on Tweek, but he thinks this maroon pops extra. 

 

“It’s weird because we live together, and Clyde doesn’t,” Craig says, finally realising what’s bothering him. He doesn’t want Clyde to feel left out - he and Tweek are so established. Craig grew up with a pretty narrow, heteronormative view of relationships until he realised he was gay. And even then, he thought he was only allowed to be with one person at a time. Anything other than monogamy was cheating or a betrayal. It’s taken him years and years with Tweek to really realise what polyamory means, and even longer to get up the courage to try it. He just doesn’t want Clyde to feel like it’s  _ them  _ and  _ him _ , like he’s a spare part or something -  because that’s not what it is - he’s just so used to doing things as a unit with Tweek. 

 

“That’s true, what if he thinks we’re  _ -nnn-  _ ganging up on him?” Tweek fusses, biting his lip and twitching a little. Craig has exactly the same anxieties but he swallows it down for the sake of Tweek and places a hand on his shoulder. He knows this is comforting and calming for Tweek, and shit, he hopes he’ll one day know Clyde this well too. 

 

“This should be fun, we shouldn’t get all worked up about it," Craig says, squeezing Tweek’s shoulder lightly. 

 

“Do you think Clyde is nervous?” Tweek asks. Craig doesn’t  _ know,  _ but he has a theory. 

 

“No, he probably thinks he’s the biggest super-stud out there. He gets to have  _ two  _ boyfriends," he replies with a fond chuckle. 

 

“Well, maybe," Tweek says, “only if the dynamic works and he like, wants to.”

 

That’s true, they might hate this. Who knows? He’s never been in a relationship with someone who isn’t Tweek before and he’s absolutely never tried anything with more than two people. They could find that they can’t make the dynamic work, that three people is awkward or maybe Clyde just isn’t that third - they have to fit right. Maybe they won’t like having any third at all and go back to just being them? Craig doesn’t know, but he knows he’ll always be wondering if he doesn’t try. So that’s why they decided to bite the bullet and ask Clyde out. Well, Tweek did the asking out - Craig just went red like an idiot - but he said yes all the same, seemingly stoked to be included potentially in a triad. They just have to work out the new relationship vs the old and married. Because both dynamics are there, Craig would hate for one to overrun the other. 

 

“We’re just gonna have to jump in and see how it goes," Craig says, taking one last glance at his hair in the mirror. It’s not exactly how he wants it but it’ll have to do. 

 

—

 

Clyde is already there when they arrive, which is kind of weird. Clyde is pretty notorious for being late to anything and everything. Tweek had chosen the restaurant; both Tweek and Clyde are kinda foodies and have opinions about restaurants. Craig generally goes wherever they say is good - he’s not been disappointed yet. Whilst this is their first date as a three, Clyde has been their friend for years and Craig has been on tons and tons of platonic ‘dates’ with him. Somehow, knowing the context is now romantic, this feels completely different and it makes him nervous. 

 

Clyde is clearly nervous too, he hasn’t seen them yet but Craig can tell just by looking at the back of him. He’s sitting up straight, like you might after a parent just told you off, and his leg is jiggling incessantly - definitely not his usual laidback body language. And when he does finally turn around and see them he stands up straight, stiff as a board, scrambling to be upright as quickly as possible. Craig didn’t see this coming; while he always had faith that they’d have a good time he definitely hadn’t predicted Clyde being nervous.

 

“Um, hi," Clyde says nervously and sticks out his hand like he wants them to shake it. Craig just laughs at him, he doesn’t mean to but… he’s known Clyde since pre-k. They aren’t meeting for the first time.

 

“ _ Jesus _ ," Tweek hisses and elbows Craig in the side, quite hard. 

 

“Ow!" Craig says, frowning. 

 

“Hey man!" Tweek says to Clyde, ignoring Craig. He holds his arms out for a hug and this seems to relax Clyde a little. Clyde goes in for the cuddle with no hesitation. Craig is happy to let Clyde hug him once he and Tweek are done. 

 

“I um… I got you these…” Clyde splutters awkwardly “I don’t know how this works but, ah… here!” He produces two bunches of flowers from where they were placed on the table. Craig’s flowers are all blue and purple, Tweek’s are yellows and pinks. Craig can feel his heart melt, he doesn’t know much about flowers, but he does know he loves to receive them. 

 

“You didn’t have to!” Tweek says, “I didn’t  _ -nghh-  _ get you anything… I’m sorry. But  _ -ah- _ I can pay?” 

 

“It’s okay,” Clyde replies. “I’m not sure how this is supposed to work anyway… does one person pay each time? Do we split? Do we all get each other flowers and things since we’re all dudes?” 

 

“I’m not sure," Craig echoes. “I think, maybe we just set our own ground rules and go from there?”

 

“Well, if you don’t like the flowers, it’s okay - I won’t bring any anymore," Clyde says. “whatever you guys want…”

 

Craig realises he never said thank you. He was too busy admiring the beautiful hues the purple flowers gave off in the sunset’s glow.

 

“No, Clyde, I love them," he says sincerely. “I love flowers, it was super thoughtful of you.”

 

“Yeah!” Tweek chimes in. “Thanks man, they’re beautiful!” 

 

“Oh, I’m glad," Clyde says, his cheeks going a touch red. “I wasn’t expecting you guys to get me anything I guess I just wanted to surprise you.”

 

“That’s so sweet,” Tweek replies, sounding genuinely touched. “let’s sit down and order though, I’m kinda starving.”

 

Craig and Tweek sit either side of Clyde and Craig hopes this makes him feel less like it’s them vs him. Craig doesn’t have a better way to put it, but he just knows that people tend to think that he and Tweek go hand in hand, although that is mostly true, Craig really doesn’t want to leave Clyde out. 

 

“Yeah, good," Clyde replies, “I’m really hungry too.”

 

“I’m always hungry,” Craig says with a shrug. 

 

—

 

Craig begins to feel less nervous as the evening goes on. Clyde doesn’t seem to relax the same way Craig does; every time he begins to slip into a more normal dynamic he stops himself, almost like he’s reverting back to the persona of well-behaved child at church. Craig wants to put him at ease but he just doesn’t know how. This isn’t a typical first date in the sense that they need to bother with small talk and getting to know you. They’ve known Clyde since forever and Craig doesn’t quite get why Clyde is trying to keep it so formal and awkward. 

 

He wonders if maybe Clyde doesn’t like them, or he’s decided that this just isn’t for him and doesn’t have the heart to say. Craig’s heart sinks a little with disappointment. 

 

“Are you okay?” Tweek asks kindly. “Is this too weird for you?”

 

Tweek is good at expressing the emotional things that Craig is thinking but cannot say. 

 

“Yeah, I’m great guys…” Clyde says. “Why would you think I’m not?”

 

“Well…” Tweek considers, choosing his words carefully, “You’re not making goofy jokes and like, you haven’t  _ -gah-  _ called yourself the  _ Donoman  _ once… that’s not like you?”

 

“If you’re not into it, it’s okay," Craig adds, although he’s disappointed at the potential loss. He doesn’t want Clyde to feel pressured just because there’s two of them. 

 

“No!” Clyde cries, a little over dramatically really. “No! It’s not that guys it’s just… I wanted to impress you. I want you to think I’m serious boyfriend material.” 

 

“Clyde…” Craig begins, not sure how he will express this. “You are already… we wanted to date because we both like you - as you are. I don’t wanna speak for Tweek, but I like that you don’t take things too seriously and are so light hearted. That’s definitely appealing to me.”

 

“Yeah," Tweek continues. “I love how much fun we have and I just thought, maybe, that it could be even more  _ -nghh-  _ fun if we tried all being boyfriends.”

 

“I just wanted you guys to like me, ‘cause I really like you both… I have forever - I just never said anything because you’ve always been such a solid couple. This is like, my dream come true." Clyde confesses, looking down at his lap. 

 

“Oh Clyde," Tweek says affectionately, “you should have just told us… you don’t need to impress anyone, okay? I’m already impressed, we are just glad you  _ -hnn-  _ wanted to be with us both.” 

 

“Really?” Clyde replies, so earnest that Craig feels something warm right in his icy heart. Clyde always wears his heart on his sleeve and is open about feelings. Craig finds that quite admirable; he’s never really been good at being vulnerable unless it’s with Tweek. 

 

“Yeah," Craig says, “really.” 

 

“I’m sorry if it’s intimidating, us being together for so long but like, the reason we  _ -ah-  _ want to include you is because we like you so much," Tweek adds, smiling.

 

“It is a little," Clyde admits, “but not enough that I don’t wanna try.” 

 

“Well, if you wanna continue all three of us can set ground rules, especially so that you don’t ever get left out…” Craig suggests. 

 

“I mean," Clyde says nervously “I wanna if you wanna?”

 

“I wanna," Tweek affirms and Craig nods. 

 

“So do we get to kiss now?” Clyde asks, and both Tweek and Craig can’t help but giggle.

 

“Sure,” Craig says before they both lean in to give Clyde a peck on each cheek. The blush on Clyde’s cheeks tells Craig that this is going well. 

 

—

 

It’s a bit weird at first, he and Tweek going home together when Clyde lives separately, but you can’t rush a relationship - they just have to negotiate the different dynamics. Maybe Clyde will move in one day, but not before he’s ready. He’ll happily stay the night though, even if the first time he wasn’t sure how three dudes were supposed to do it. It makes Craig laugh so much that Clyde didn’t even google it, because that’s just so  _ him.  _

 

But despite their awkward beginnings, things go well - well enough that Clyde is permanently a third. It’s public and Craig is just as clingy with Clyde as he is with Tweek. In fact it’s probably better, as Clyde prefers PDA much more than Tweek does, so when Craig is feeling extra sappy, Clyde is always into it and will be as equally sappy back. Another great addition to the dynamic is that Tweek enjoys surprising them both and showering both of them with presents, flowers, food, anything. It kind of makes everything doubly exciting having Clyde to share those surprises with. 

 

They haven’t been looking to add a fourth, or any more people, because the three of them just feels right. Their relationship, while not monogamous, is very committed and very complete. 

**Author's Note:**

> My tumblr is blesspastacraig if you wanna be friends :)


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